Human touch of Gramin Dak Sevaks irreplaceable, says Chandrababu Naidu

Even in an era of artificial intelligence and rapid technological advancement, no one can replace the services rendered by Gramin Dak Sevaks, who form the backbone of the nation’s logistics system, declared Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Mr. Naidu attended the Gramin Dak Sevak Sammelan as the chief guest along with Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar on Sunday. The event was organised to recognise the contribution of rural postal employees and to reinforce the transformation of the postal network into a modern logistics system. Ten outstanding GDS Branch Postmasters and Assistant Branch Postmasters from various divisions were felicitated.

Mr. Naidu noted that India Post operates one of the largest postal networks in the world, with over 1.64 lakh post offices, nearly 90% of them located in rural areas, and close to 2.7 lakh Gramin Dak Sevaks across the country. In Andhra Pradesh alone, more than 17,000 GDS personnel serve through over 9,100 post offices. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, parcels reach their destination because of your commitment, he said. Recalling the days when people eagerly awaited money orders and letters, he added that even today banking, insurance, DBT transfers and digital life certificates are delivered to citizens through postal workers. He credited them for strengthening welfare delivery, particularly DBT linked schemes.

Calling for greater support to postal staff, the Chief Minister urged the Centre to provide electric bicycles to GDS personnel to improve efficiency and promote green energy. He lauded Mr. Scindia for introducing a special dress code to enhance their dignity and asserted that human touch remains irreplaceable despite technological progress. Referring to the double engine government, he said coordinated efforts between the State and the Centre were accelerating development and welfare.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Scindia described GDS employees as ornaments of Bharat Mata and likened their role to the heart pumping blood to the farthest veins of the body. He said India Post had opened 38 crore savings accounts and 3.8 crore Sukanya Samriddhi accounts, and was pursuing reforms under the motto Reform, Perform, Transform. He highlighted modernisation measures such as QR code tracking, drone services in hilly States and strengthened parcel logistics.

Mr. Chandra Sekhar emphasised accountability and customer centric reforms, observing that while the department incurs an expenditure of ₹1,800 crore against revenue of ₹600 crore, it continues to play a vital role in inclusive growth. He urged GDS personnel to expand savings, insurance and Aadhaar linked services, expressing confidence that collective efforts would help realise the vision of a developed India by 2047.